Always
by Little Miss Isabelle
Summary: Love should be easy.  Love should be natural.  Love should be like a dream.  Sometimes, it isn't.  AU.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hello, again! I loved writing _Pretty Betty_ so much, and I had to come back! :) I really want this story to just stand on its own, so I don't really want to give much away about the plotline. I'm hoping you kinda just figure it out on your own. :)

This is just the prologue, so it's very short, but I hope to have chapter 1 up soon.

**Disclaimer:** Ugly Betty no es mio! :)

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><p>Prologue<p>

Once upon a time, there were two feuding kingdoms in the land of York of the New. As long as anyone could remember, the Meade and Suarez families had been at odds with one another—long before their publications companies were created, long before Ignacio Suarez stole Bradford Meade's bride, long before Claire Meade sabotaged Rosa Suarez's Christmas parties (seven times in a row), long before friendship between the two families had ever had a chance.

No one was quite sure what started the animosity between the two prominent families. Some speculated that it was the differences in nationality and culture. Some said Bradford's great-grandfather stole a prestigious position from Ignacio's great-grandfather. Some people said Ignacio and Bradford's ancestors were just ornery men, and they passed their genes onto their children. No matter the reason, the Meades and the Suarezes had been feuding and fighting for decades, if not centuries, and it was just a part of the culture, the way of life, of York of the New.

As the years and decades went by, the two publication moguls had encouraged the animosity, and pranks, competition, spying, bitterness, angry words, and paranoia abounded.

It was to this world that Betty Suarez and Daniel Meade emerged. Daniel grew up doing everything he could to avoid the conflict, spending his time reading, writing, dreaming of a happier, more peaceful world, and doing generally anything he could to stop thinking about the dilemma at hand. Betty grew up, ignoring the drama, keeping her dreams for the future alive. Somehow, she had remained unaffected by the drama, schemes, and hate.

One day in early June, something happened that changed everything.

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><p><strong>AN:** Please review! I'm so excited to see what you all think. :)


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Sorrysorrysorry! Yes, I know, it's been like, three months since I posted the prologue.

I kinda lost my muse, and I was really battling depression this summer (that's a whole story you don't need to hear!), and I felt bad about leaving my _Dreamer_ readers hanging since I started that story way back in January. But I'm back now, and I hope to update regularly! I am also hoping to finish this by the time Covert Affairs starts again in November. :) We'll see how it goes. :)

And about the posting… I figure you should know. I have NO CLUE how regularly this is going to be updated. I'm going to try to post regularly, but with three college classes, my part-time job, my internship, and getting ready for graduation in December, who knows what'll happen. :/

Anyway! On with the story!

**Disclaimer:** Ugly Betty no es mio!

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Daniel Meade sank down into the harsh, pristine white minimalist chair, wincing as he tried not to notice how uncomfortable the seat was.

After the morning he'd had, he didn't even want to think about how uncomfortable the chair was, or how much he hated the pineapple pizza, sitting in front of him.

When he'd submitted his résumé to Suarez Publications, he really hadn't expected much. But then he'd been called back for an interview, and then a second interview, and then Amanda Tanen had offered him the job.

She'd seemed a bit ditzy, and … weird, now that he thought of it… but she'd given him a job. Working at the type of magazine he'd always wanted to work for. He didn't care _who_ offered him the job, as long as it was for real.

And then, then today had come. It was bad enough that his parents and sister drilled it into him practically every moment at how pathetically starry-eyed this was.

But he'd been over the moon, and he really hadn't listened to them. He'd even bought a new suit for the occasion, thrilled to be where he wanted to be, after all these years of being groomed to be the editor-in-chief of Mode.

Ever since he walked in the revolving glass doors to Suarez Publications, though, the ridicule and torture hadn't stopped. They'd sent him on menial errands all over town like some infernal slave. Their viral attacks made him flinch. They hadn't even let up to give him the chance to take a lunch break, which explained why he was eating _pineapple pizza_ at _three-thirty_ in the _afternoon_.

He couldn't even walk down the hallway without people throwing him loathing looks. He could feel their hatred seeping into his bones, their glares like daggers into his back, and it made his stomach roil. Every chance they got, they called him the most disgusting things, tearing him down until he was sure he had nothing left to offer this God-forsaken place.

_Golden_ was supposed to be a place that promoted hope and safety. It was supposed to be a magazine that brought goodness and hope to a world full of scandals and despair and worry and horrors.

Apparently, _Golden_ didn't want to offer Daniel Meade anything.

He felt so alone, so beaten down, so weary, that he didn't even want to spend one more second in this place.

He buried his face in his hands and sighed, letting his eyes flutter shut. He knew this would be hard, but he'd always hoped that achieving his dream would help bring the Meade and Suarez families _together_, not make their rift so much worse.

A gentle hand touched his forearm, sweetly, almost like a caress, and he glanced up, unadulterated hope shining in his eyes. He never knew he needed a friend more than at this moment. The woman's face brightened in a brilliant smile, and his heart sank.

Elisabetta Suarez.

What was she doing here? And what was he doing, looking up at her like such a love-sick, lonely puppy, longing for a friend? He was such an idiot.

Elisabetta wasn't in the press very much, but still, she was the daughter of _Ignacio Suarez_. And she was positively stunning. Glowing sable hair, twinkling dark brown eyes eyes, perfect olive skin. That purple dress hugged her in all the right places. She was… stunning.

"Hi," she said gently. She pushed her plate toward him with an encouraging smile. "Empanada?"

Was he even _allowed_ to take one of Ignacio Suarez's famous empanadas from his youngest daughter?

She giggled up at him. "Come on. Take an empanada. It's not going to kill you, Daniel."

He sent her a confused look as he warily accepted one of the empanadas. "How do you know my name?" he asked hesitantly.

She laughed again and rolled her eyes. "I'm Betty Suarez. I know more about this place than just about anybody. Just because I'm not in public that much, that doesn't mean I don't know how this place works." She smirked. "Besides, you're _Daniel Meade_. You didn't think that marching in here wouldn't cause just about everyone to have a coronary?"

He blushed and glanced down at his untouched pineapple pizza. Why did everyone have to rip apart his dream? Meade Publications didn't have anything anywhere close to what _Golden_ was. All he wanted was to work for a publication that supported the things he believed in. Feeding the homeless, caring for orphans, telling stories that actually meant something.

She reached out and nudged his chin, looking him full in the eye. "I think you should know I'm the last person in the world that's going to fault you for what you believe in, Daniel Meade."

His heart melted and then soared to life. Did she really just say what he thought she said? "Elisabetta—"

She grinned back at him. "And puh-lease. Stop calling me that. It's only Elisabetta for the press and when I'm in trouble. Call me Betty."

She folded her arms over her chest and leaned into the table, her eyes twinkling back at him. "So tell me about yourself, Daniel Meade."

He found himself grinning back at her as he leaned in closer, too. He snatched up another of her empanadas and took a bite before replying. "What do you want to know?"

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><p>Daniel was chin-deep in research for the clean water conditions in Rwanda for someone else's article when Betty Suarez sashayed up to his little cubicle, grinning at him widely. She leaned over the wall to his cubicle, studying his computer screen curiously. "Whatcha doin'?" she sang, and he couldn't help but grin.<p>

Betty was quickly making his first day at _Golden_ bearable. He gestured at the computer screen and rolled his eyes. "Research. Not much."

She glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall across the room for a moment before she turned her attention back at him. "Listen, my dad always holds this hoity-toity bash at the beginning of each June for his favorite charity organization of the year. Usually I can weasel my way out of it, but I haven't been to one since I was in college, and I don't think there's any way I could get out of this. Would you—would you go with me?"

He gave her a curious frown. "What do you mean? Like as a friend?"

She glanced down at her hands a little subconsciously. "No… as a, you know. As a date."

He looked up in her eyes, seeing the vulnerability there. Her date? She had seemed so independent, so confident earlier. He'd tried to convince himself he shouldn't go there, that she was the only real friend he'd made since he walked through the doors to Suarez Publications, and he didn't want to ruin that. Besides, she was Ignacio Suarez's daughter, and he was Bradford Meade's son. How could a relationship ever work between them?

But still, she was sweet and kind and smart and beautiful and perfect, and the thought of falling in love with her seemed easy, perfect. "Yeah," he said, the words flowing out of his mind before he could stop them. "Of course."

She grinned back at him, her confidence back in place. "Good. It's Sunday night, at seven. It's a black-tie event. Pick me up at six, okay? City traffic is terrible that time of night."

City traffic was terrible anytime, but he wasn't going to argue. She was so adorable standing there, so excited that he had said yes to her proposal.

Before he knew what she was doing, she'd spun away from his cubicle, and she was halfway across the room when he realized he still didn't know where she lived. "Wait!" he called out. "Where am I supposed to pick you up from?"

She rolled her eyes and grinned back at him, her warm dark brown eyes shining back at him teasingly. "You're the researcher. You figure it out!"

He groaned. _Of course_ she would say that.

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><p><strong>AN:** Sooo. Everyone's a bit OOC to begin with, and I'm sorry about that. It's hard when trying to mesh Daniel and Romeo/Betty and Juliet, but I hope it'll mellow out in the next coming chapters. :)

Please review!


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for all your reviews so far! I'm glad everyone seems to be loving this, and I'm excited to take this journey with everyone!

I hope you like it, and please review on your way out! :)

**Disclaimer:** Ugly Betty no es mio!

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Daniel shuffled around nervously at the entrance to Betty's apartment. He'd made sure he was a few minutes early, just to be safe, but now he was left taking in what he could see of her apartment, wondering how good of an idea this was.

_Did Ignacio Suarez know about their little date?_ He'd never met the man, but Daniel heard that he could be vindictive. What would he do to the man trying to date his baby girl?

He glanced down at the bouquet of flowers in his sweaty hands, suddenly hoping they were good enough. When he'd bought them, he thought they suited her cheerful, flirty, naïve, full-of-life persona. But now, standing in her upscale Manhattan apartment, he couldn't help thinking he should have invested in classier flowers.

Like a dozen red roses or something.

He stopped cold when he heard the door open, and he took in the wonder that stood before him. She was wearing a sage green evening dress that hugged her in all the right places, and an off-white sash framed her perfectly tiny waist. Her dark hair hung in soft curls around her heart-shaped face. She was smiling softly, almost hesitantly, as she stood there in the doorway. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered. "You look—amazing." He glanced down at the flowers in his hand subconsciously, and said, "Oh, uh, here—these are for—"

"Gerber daisies!" she squealed, rushing to take them from his hands. Her face lit up at the slight of them, and she lowered her face to the blooms, smelling them with an innocent, happy smile on her face. She glanced back up at him for half a moment. "How did you know?"

He frowned slightly. "How did I know what?"

She was at his side in half a second, pushing up on her tiptoes to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek. She lingered at his side longer than he expected, her fingers playing with the little hairs at the nape of his neck. When she didn't pull away, just stared up into his light blue eyes, his arm snaked around her waist, holding her closer. "What was that for?" he whispered.

She glanced down at her flowers subconsciously. "Gerber daisies are my favorite," she said with a shy smile, and she awkwardly extricated herself from his arms. "Give me a second to put these in water, and we can go."

Daniel sank into her plush white couch as he watched her move around her kitchen. She was like a sweet, innocent, beautiful angel.

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><p>Daniel grinned softly as he watched Betty wander over to him. The room was filled with dignitaries and well-to-dos, half of them staring after her as she pushed her way through the crowd. She had a way of completely ignoring the crowd, like she lived in her own little world. Nothing affected her. He loved that about her. She didn't care what anyone else thought.<p>

In the past week, as he'd gotten to know Betty better over stolen lunches and short conversations in the hallways and that one dinner they'd had on Wednesday when they both worked late into the evening, he'd slowly fallen for her. He wasn't sure what half the world was missing, but Elisabetta Suarez was utterly perfect.

She was sweet, and funny, and naïve, and she danced to the beat of her own drum. The way she didn't fit into any social norms was completely, adorably endearing.

She handed him a glass of champagne, and, as he took it from her hand, he scowled at her teasingly. "You know, the guy is the one that's supposed to get his date a drink, not the other way around."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I wasn't exactly going to take you with me to the bathroom, Daniel. And the guy was just standing there when I walked out. Do you want me to take it back?"

He chuckled lightly and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close enough to kiss her brow. "Huh-uh, c'mere," he said softly, taking her glass of champagne, and setting it on the table next to his.

She frowned up at him curiously. "Where are we going?"

He grinned down at her, taking her left hand as he guided her halfway across the room. "We're gonna dance. C'mon."

A small grin flitted across her lips, and she let him guide her onto the dance floor. She settled into his arms, studying his face as he twirled her expertly around the dance floor and settled into a slow, easy, comfortable pace.

He smirked down at her, his eyes twinkling softly. "What are you looking at?"

She grinned, but ducked her head a little when she blushed. "You're a really good dancer."

He chuckled. "Thanks."

She snuggled a little closer into his arms, burying her face in the crook between his shoulder and his neck. The silence stretched between them comfortably for several moments, and then she whispered, "You know, I really like dancing with you."

He grinned softly. "I really like dancing with you, too, Betty."

The music in the background changed, and she instantly shot up, her eyes twinkling. "I love this song!" she exclaimed, and Daniel chuckled.

She scowled at him playfully, and, before she could pull away, he leaned in, capturing her lips with his own. His hand, cradling the nape of her neck, slipped into her hair, tangling with the silky strands, as he pulled her closer.

She kissed him back, a little hesitantly at first, before her lips parted with a soft moan, allowing him entrance as he deepened the kiss. She was a little bit rusty when it came to kissing, but that made her all the more adorable and mesmerizing.

Betty pulled away shyly and buried her face against his neck again, breathing heavier than before. Daniel rubbed her back gently, repairing the damage he'd done. He'd been wanting to kiss her for nearly a week now, to see if kissing her was as amazing as being around her, listening to her corny jokes and learning about her big-heart dreams. That adorable look on her face when she recognized that song did him in, and he just couldn't hold it back any longer.

Kissing her had been oh-so-much better, and his mind was still a bit fuzzy from that mind-blowing kiss.

A moment later, she pulled back, looking up into his eyes, and he reached up, cupping her cheek gently. "So… I really like kissing you," he said with a sweet, teasing, intimate smile, and she blushed.

"Me, too."

That look on her face was just too adorable. He closed the distance between them again, kissing her softly, and she blushed prettily as he pulled away.

He pulled her a little bit closer, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, her grin lingering on her lips as she studied him. "Soo," she said softly. "Tell me something I don't know."

He grinned back at her. "Well. You're amazing."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "I knew that."

Daniel snorted back at her. "Okay, well, my sister is obsessed with jellyfish."

Betty snorted. "Alexis?"

He laughed. "Yeah. Alexis. She got stung by one at the aquarium once when we were little because she just _had_ to touch one."

She giggled. "Of course, you would _never_ do anything like that."

"_Never_," he echoed seriously, as his eyes twinkled back at her.

"Well, Hilda slept-walked all the way to our high school when she was fifteen. She was mortified when Bobby Talercio caught her in her pajamas."

"What happened to her then?"

Betty rolled her eyes. "Now they're engaged. Go figure."

"Elisabetta!"

Betty twirled around in Daniel's arms, her eyes wide, as Ignacio Suarez strode purposefully toward him. She squeaked as Ignacio got closer, and Daniel wrapped his arms around Betty protectively. He had never met Ignacio Suarez, but he had a feeling this would go badly.

"Betty, what are you doing?"

She glanced up at Daniel and then back at her father. "Well, um, Papi, I _was_ dancing…"

Ignacio scowled at her. "Mija, I can _see_ that." He gestured wildly at Daniel. "What are you doing with _him_?"

"Papi, he's my date. Just because you and Bradford Meade can't get over your ridiculous _thing_ doesn't mean I can't find happiness."

Ignacio's eyes narrowed in on Daniel. "He makes you happy?"

She glanced up at Daniel, her face softening in a little smile that bolstered his soul. "Yeah, Papi, he does."

Ignacio shook his head vehemently, pursing his lips in anger. "No. No. I _forbid_ it. It's bad enough that scoundrel thinks he can work for me. I'm not letting him weasel his way into my family, stealing away my daughter, stealing my company out from under my very nose." He motioned to Daniel. "Get away from her now. Leave."

Betty's jaw dropped open, and her eyes flashed angrily as her mouth moved open and shut, no noise coming out. Finally, she formulated a few words. "But—Papi—you can't be serious! Daniel never did _anything_ to you!"

Daniel felt his heart sinking as Ignacio Suarez's angry eyes boring into him. He knew he'd lost. He'd barely even had a chance to start falling for Betty, but he knew right now that she was _just_ the kind of girl he wanted to take a chance on. She understood him, and made him happy, and he wanted to spend several months falling for her slowly, perfectly. What kind of person didn't even give love a chance?

Slowly, his arms, holding Betty close, dropped to his side, and he started to back away. "I'll go," he said quietly, his voice filled with defeat.

When Betty realized he was gone, tears filled her eyes as she stared back at her father furiously. "Papi! What are you doing?" she cried, and, not waiting for an answer, she turned and ran out after Daniel.

When she got to the entrance of the building and still didn't find him, she slumped to the ground, burying her face in her hands as she sat on the front steps. They hadn't had long together, but with Daniel, she'd felt an instant connection. He was utterly perfect. All she wanted was a chance to find love.

What was wrong with that?

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><p><strong>AN:** Sooo. I'm really trying to update faster, but I am _so_ busy! I'm trying to write shorter, more concise/poignant chapters, so I can update more frequently, but still, it's hard! :/

Let me know what you think! :)


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait, guys! :/ I kinda just discovered _Rookie Blue_, and I'm kinda obsessed. :) That, and lots of projects and stuff. You know. :) Here's the next update!

I have Monday off of school, too, so just maybe I can have chapter 4 up then. :)

Oh, and I'm kind of in a hurry, so I didn't have time to edit much. Hopefully there's nothing glaringly awful. hehe. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't know Ugly Betty.

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Daniel was checking his email the next Monday morning when a warm, soft pair of hands wrapped around his head, and a few dark tresses tickled his neck under the collar of his dress shirt. As her hands pressed over his eyes, she leaned in close to his ear, and whispered, "Guess who?"

He groaned as he reached up for Betty's hand. She couldn't be doing this to him. Not after that confrontation at the party the night before, and especially not after Ignacio Suarez had shown up at his apartment at midnight, warning Daniel to keep his distance.

All he wanted to do was pull her down into his lap and kiss her good morning properly. His night had been plagued with dreams of her, and he already had no clue how he was going to work with her without freaking out the almighty Ignacio Suarez, much less hide his own feelings. Betty was perfect, in every sense of the word, and he wanted at least a short eternity with her.

He pulled her around in front of her, letting his hands linger in hers. "Betty, we can't… you, me, us—I need this job, and you need your dad. I won't be the one to mess everything up."

But she looked _so_ perfect, standing there in front of him, dressed in a lavender flowery sundress and a pair of airy sandals, her hair falling around her shoulders in soft waves. How could the world possibly be conniving to keep them apart?

She smiled at him softly, as if she hadn't even heard his words—or maybe she was ignoring them—and she said, "Meet me in the copy room in one hour. Come alone. Make sure you're not followed."

He stared at her, half dumbfounded. "What are we, spies?" He sighed, exasperated. "Didn't you hear anything I said, Betty?"

She just rolled her eyes and moved just out of his grasp, and she started floating away.

Sometimes, she was so exasperating. "But… Betty! I have a—"

She grinned from the hallway. "I know. That's why it's in an hour, silly." Betty sashayed away, as if it were normal procedure to set up covert meetings in the middle of a _literary_ magazine. She was going to be the death of him. Really, she would.

"But—Betty—"

She turned around at the sound of her name.

"I don't think we should—"

She grinned back at him. "Be there, Daniel!"

And then she was gone.

It was times like this that made him question his ability to find a normal, good girl. What was she thinking?

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><p>Exactly one hour later, Daniel peaked into the copy room, both trepidation and pride vying for position in his heart. He didn't think it was normal to have covert meetings with people your boss forbade you to see, but what did he know? He just hoped Ignacio Suarez wasn't waiting there for him with a firing squad.<p>

But when he saw Betty standing there all by herself, grinning up at him, he couldn't help feeling that at this moment, he didn't want to be with anyone else. "Hi," he whispered softly. He moved toward her, pulling her into his arms easily, and he covered her lips with his own, kissing her eagerly.

She kissed him back hungrily, her hands threading behind his neck as she pushed onto her tiptoes, trying to get better access. When he pulled away, he was grinning breathlessly, and her eyes twinkled up at him happily. _Gah, she was perfect_.

"I—they gave me a promotion," he whispered to her. "That's what Amanda wanted to see me about. They want to create a more creative-writing type column, and they think I'm perfect for it."

Betty grinned at him proudly and pushed up on her tiptoes again, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Of course you are."

The excitement of the moment overtook him, and he spun her around in his arms. She laughed in his ear and held onto his neck for dear life. When he lowered her to the ground, he said, "Oh, yeah, Betty, why did you want to meet, anyway?"

She rolled her eyes. "To convince you, silly."

He frowned slightly. "Convince me of what, Betty?"

She heaved an overdramatic sigh. "That _this_ is worth fighting for—you, me, _us_. I know you don't want to come between my dad and me, but I care as much about fueling the feud as my dad does about stopping it." She let her hands drop to his chest. "Daniel, I don't _care_ about all of that. I want _you_," she said softly, her voice shaking a little as she nudged his chest with her hands. "You and me—we're perfect together, Daniel."

He stared at her for a moment, taking in the raw hope in her eyes. The longing and anticipation built in him, until he could deny it no longer. He was an idiot, and they were being completely foolish, and he was sure he would regret it later, but this was _Betty_. "Mmhmm," he whispered, his head nodding furiously. "Yes. Yes. Let's do it. You—me—us."

She stared at him with wide, hopeful eyes. Before she could say anything, he whispered, "C'mere," pulling her into his arms a few seconds before his lips were on hers, claiming her as his own. She kissed him back eagerly, winding her arms around his neck as she pulled his head down closer to her own.

When she pulled away regretfully, they were both breathless, and Daniel rested his forehead against hers. He loved staring down into her big brown eyes.

She grinned back at him, shyly at first, but then she started giggling, and he frowned at her. "What are you laughing about?"

She just giggled harder and reached up, wiping a just under his lower lip. "All better," she said.

Daniel pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. "You're kind of amazing," he said. He managed to look at the clock across the room, and noticed the time. "But I gotta go," he said, his voice laced with regret. "Amanda made me promise to meet her in her office so she could show me my new office." He reached up, cupping her cheek. "But I'll call you. Tonight. I promise. We can do something. Okay?"

She smiled brightly up at him. "Okay."

She lifted her face to him, and he kissed her softly. "I'll talk to you later… baby."

Betty grinned widely at the term of endearment. "You better call me!"

As he slipped out the door, he called over his shoulder. "I will!"

As Betty picked up the file she'd brought into the room as her pretense for needing the copy room, she grinned to herself softly and reached for the doorknob. Maybe this would be a good week, after all.

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><p><strong>AN:** Review, please!


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